See All the Stars

by Kit Frick

Part love story, part thriller, We Were Liars meets Goodbye Days in this suspenseful, lyrical debut.It’s hard to find the truth beneath the lies you tell yourself.THEN They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system.NOW Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever.THEN Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love.NOW Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.The path forward isn’t a straight line. And moving on will mean sorting the truth from the lies—the lies Ellory has been telling herself.

See All the Stars Details

See All the Stars Review

January 1, 1970

Chelsea Humphrey

This is going to be an extremely difficult book to review, and I probably should have left this as a mini review solely for the fact that the less you know the better. See All The Stars is a character driven novel full of suspense with page turning compulsion, and I believe fans of YA novels that cross over between contemporary and mystery will eat this up. I am cautious to scream "READ THIS BOOK" because I know it's the fastest way to build hype and set up for unrealistic expectations, but I re This is going to be an extremely difficult book to review, and I probably should have left this as a mini review solely for the fact that the less you know the better. See All The Stars is a character driven novel full of suspense with page turning compulsion, and I believe fans of YA novels that cross over between contemporary and mystery will eat this up. I am cautious to scream "READ THIS BOOK" because I know it's the fastest way to build hype and set up for unrealistic expectations, but I really do encourage readers to give this a second glance come August. It's not that this story hasn't been told before, but it's the way it's told and the sheer tension built throughout that really impressed me. Below, I'm going to frame some of the reasons I loved this in a non-spoiler filled manner and let you decide for yourself whether to pick it up.The most important thing to remember about this novel is that it's a lesson in working through hard things. Grief, conflict, and betrayal aren't new themes, especially in the young adult realm, but I do think we need more novels showing teens how to work through these issues, and that's precisely what Frick has written into her narrative. While I guessed early on the source of the conflict (but more on this in a minute) and also had guessed somewhat of how the big twist would play out (also more on this in a minute), I didn't feel that detracted from the importance of what this novel has to offer. The real jewel here is, again, the lesson of facing your fears, facing your mistakes, and also learning to forgive yourself for not only the things you can't control, but also the things you can. I also love how naturally Ellory's use of a therapist is included here; not once is it portrayed as uncool, weird, or taboo, but as a necessity to her mental health and something she admits to helping her along her journey. We all make mistakes, and See All The Stars paints a picture of how one action can cause a chain of reactions that were never intended in the first place. We also see a classic tale of the manipulative, narcissistic friend that shows both the highs and lows of such platonic abusive relationships.This novel was written in a very particular way, which will become clear as to why once you read it, and I loved it! For the majority, we receive alternating chapters (all from Ellory's POV) of past and present, or "pre The Fall" and "post The Fall". Like I mentioned above, you are somewhat expecting the betrayal that is coming, but I felt the author intended this, almost as a tool to ramp up the tension and suspense as we don't know exactly when it will happen and what the big fallout was afterward. Sorry for the vagueness, but trust me, you want to go in blind! Also, I mentioned above that I guessed the twist almost 100% on point (I knew the what but I didn't know how it came about until the end), and that was solely based on a book that the blurb compares this to. (I didn't include this in my synopsis above but it's easy to find if you choose to look for it.) While I see the necessity in finding the right audience for a novel, and do agree that fans of said novel will take to this, I also felt I wouldn't have guessed the twist prior to the reveal if I hadn't seen that and this would have been bumped up to a 5 star read.Overall, this was the most compulsive book I've read to date in 2018. I absorbed everything from cover to cover in less than 24 hours, and I felt the characters were the type that will stay with me for a long time to come. I've been trying to write this review for almost a week now, and still feel moved and unsettled (in a good way) by this story. Also... CoVeR LoVe! <3 If you're looking for a lightning fast read that will play on a wide range of your emotions, give this a try. Compulsive, addicting, and suspenseful, this checks all the right boxes for a quick summer read. Highly recommended and I can't wait to see what the author brings us next!Review copy furnished by the publisher via NetGalley.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-""I took the one back to you." I really wish this wasn't the case but, at this point, I think I’ve just read a few too many YA Contemporaries that do the same things and pull out the same twists as See All the Stars.This is a book that relies heavily on the discovery of what happened in the 'before' of the novel. For me, at least, the journey was dragged out and overlong. The story alternates between the past, in which Ellory, Ret, Bex and Jenny are close fr "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-""I took the one back to you."
I really wish this wasn't the case but, at this point, I think I’ve just read a few too many YA Contemporaries that do the same things and pull out the same twists as See All the Stars.This is a book that relies heavily on the discovery of what happened in the 'before' of the novel. For me, at least, the journey was dragged out and overlong. The story alternates between the past, in which Ellory, Ret, Bex and Jenny are close friends, and the present, in which the friendship has fallen apart. It is clear that something happened to make Ellory a loner, and the book is all about finding out what made things change.Alternating tenses gradually reveal what happened. It is somewhat compelling in the beginning but, unfortunately, I found it soon became dull, going through the repetitive motions of Ellory's relationship with Matthias, meeting his family, going to the restaurant where he works, talking about music, getting drunk, etc. After a while, I was only reading to get to the big reveal. I guess I just feel like I've read this book before many times. An intense - borderline toxic - friendship between two (or more) girls ends with one girl's life being turned upside down. I only kept reading because I really hoped I was wrong about where it was going.Plus, it just took me forever to get through this book. I actually started it a few weeks ago and put it aside because it wasn't holding my attention. I think enjoyment of this book hinges on two things: 1) Your patience for sitting through a lot of bland romance scenes, teens getting drunk, and chitchat, and 2) Whether or not you see it coming.And, sadly, I saw it coming. I think I would have been okay predicting the truth if the getting there had been more enjoyable, but it was pretty much a snoozefest. And I'm just too skeptical of (view spoiler)[characters who only seem to appear to one person and are never seen interacting with anyone else. (hide spoiler)]CW: Alcohol & drug abuse; (view spoiler)[death/grief. (hide spoiler)]Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of SEE ALL THE STARS by Kit Frick in exchange for my honest review***Holy unputdownable, Batman.GRADE: A5 STARSSEE ALL THE STARS is one of those books that gave me a tingle in my stomach, an excitement that only book lovers can understand. Even in the first chapter, I knew I was reading something special. Kit Frick’s gorgeous words danced off the page into my mind. And heart. I wanted to read quickly to see the source of Ellory‘s pain, ***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of SEE ALL THE STARS by Kit Frick in exchange for my honest review***Holy unputdownable, Batman.GRADE: A5 STARSSEE ALL THE STARS is one of those books that gave me a tingle in my stomach, an excitement that only book lovers can understand. Even in the first chapter, I knew I was reading something special. Kit Frick’s gorgeous words danced off the page into my mind. And heart. I wanted to read quickly to see the source of Ellory‘s pain, but slowly to savor the story. I knew I’d reread immediately after finished.Although I have an ARC, I pre ordered SEE ALL THE STARS for my Kindle. That’s how much I fell in love with Ellory and her story. She narrates the story from then, beginning the summer before junior year, to now, the start of senior year in alternating chapters. Something happened to shatter Ellory’s life and her friendships. What, we do not know. She’s no longer friends with her inner circle, including the troubled, yet alluring Ret. Matthias is no longer Ellory’s boyfriend. Her classmates alternate from ignoring her to bullying. When former friends try to reach out, Ellory pushes them away.Frick’s compelling writing made me ache for Ellory, even when I didn’t know why. When looking for her other works, I wasn’t surprised to see she’s also a poet.Readers, don’t read too many reviews before beginning SEE ALL THE STARS. You don’t want any hints to spoil the beauty arc of the storyline. You may guess the source of Ellory’s pain before the story unfolds, but that won’t diminish your enjoyment if you allow your revelations to happen organically.I have several favorite books which I reread at least once a year, sometimes more frequently when I need to rely on an old familiar book friend. SEE ALL THE STARS has made that list and I think Kit Frick for writing such a special novel.

Complex, captivating, and gorgeously written. Kit Frick nails this story on so many levels: suspense, swoons, and sheer page-turning goodness--not only for the mystery at hand, but for what's going to happen for these beautifully drawn characters. They leap off the page so vividly, I felt as though I knew them and I'm still thinking about them a week after finishing. A stunning debut, and I can't wait to see what this author shares with us next.

Caution: This is not an actual review. I have been noticing a trend that famous authors keep their book in Netgalley's read-now section and once you noticed and overjoyed by that - publishers give you protected PDF. I hate reading PDFs, they are not great format to read. The difficulty is that I read all my books in eReader where I use Black background and white font color. It strains my eyes less and as my father is ophthalmologist, he simply agrees with the decision. There is no way to make su Caution: This is not an actual review. I have been noticing a trend that famous authors keep their book in Netgalley's read-now section and once you noticed and overjoyed by that - publishers give you protected PDF. I hate reading PDFs, they are not great format to read. The difficulty is that I read all my books in eReader where I use Black background and white font color. It strains my eyes less and as my father is ophthalmologist, he simply agrees with the decision. There is no way to make such settings in PDF, as far as I know. Note to Publishers: Don't keep author's book in read-now section, if you are going to give protected PDFs or mention somewhere that it is in protected PDF format, so readers like me can ignore them.I started reading it and wanted to finish it, but I simply cannot for above reason.Note to Authors: if you are worried that someone is going to steal your book, don't give it to Netgalley.

Pre-order available now! Amazon4.5 Stars "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I . . . " Yes, I read this super early, several months in advance of its release date, but I couldn't get it off my mind once I saw the cover and read the blurb. When a book like this is sitting on your Kindle, you read it, publish date ignored. Within a handful of pages, I knew this was the sort of book that required my full attention. Kit Frick's beautiful prose pulled me into the solar system made up of Ellory, Ret, Pre-order available now! Amazon4.5 Stars "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I . . . "
Yes, I read this super early, several months in advance of its release date, but I couldn't get it off my mind once I saw the cover and read the blurb. When a book like this is sitting on your Kindle, you read it, publish date ignored. Within a handful of pages, I knew this was the sort of book that required my full attention. Kit Frick's beautiful prose pulled me into the solar system made up of Ellory, Ret, Bex, and Jennie, with me flickering on the sidelines as a star, watching their natural rotation unravel. With Ellory as our narrator, we see the friends in the past and in the present, known only as Then and Now. We know the friendship was rocky and dependent on Ret, we know now that they are no longer friends, we know that something happened in the summer of junior year, and we know that all Ellory wants is to get through her senior year unseen and unheard. "Somewhere, there's an alternate reality version of Ellory. . . . I think about that girl sometimes, until the wanting gets too big, and I have to stop."I don't want to ruin the novel for readers checking out reviews in advance of See All the Stars' release date, so this review will be as broad as I can make it. I'll try not to gush endlessly, but really, I want to, and I want to post the 29,803 quotes that I highlighted. A coming of age story that belongs with the best of them, See All the Stars takes you back to the high school halls filled with drama, friendships, and first love. The alternating storyline allows readers to become a part of the story, reliving Ellory's junior year experiences and floating alongside her while she hides from everyone during her senior year. With a large cast of secondary characters, we visit parties, river banks, classrooms, and bedrooms, each character and scene proving to be pivotal to the story line. "Our hands were the beginning of a spectacular, bright promise."Then, we recognize her naivety in her willingness to submit to her friend Ret, the self appointed leader of their group, and in her desperate hope to make her first real relationship last. We learn that though Ret and Ellory call themselves best friends, they're held together more out of necessity, they need each other, just as they need the other two to balance them out. We watch her downward spiral as she accepts the use of alcohol and drugs around her, how she lets things slide that as readers we scream at her to question, and how she becomes a puppet to a friend's desperate need to have her all to herself. Now, we praise her complex development as she ages another year, but we also ache with each lie she believes and each lie she tells herself. As Now reaches the last chapters, we rejoice as Ellory learns to face the thing that left her friendless, boyfriendless, and alone. The style of writing, and the alternating time frames allows readers to experience the then, while also uncovering the truths that the friends didn't know at the time, revealing us the details of the fall. The accident, something we don't know understand until the end, pulls the friends in two directions and Kit Frick's decision to only write from Ellory's perspective forces us to choose her side. "My mom calls what happened the fall. It's a kindness, a shortcut, a way of taking something hard and shaping it into two little words that can slip off your tongue."See All the Stars is the sort of novel that shouldn't be limited to only readers of the Young Adult genre. It's too complex, too big of a story to be ignored by readers of New Adult, Adult, and Contemporary Fiction. The depth of See All the Stars makes it feel very real, making me not only empathize with the characters, but also reevaluate my own personal experiences, putting myself in the same shoes. The focus on relationships, lies, truth, and forgiveness made for a very compelling story. The characters are very well developed, made up of layers and flaws, their emotions ruling their decisions. I was able to guess at some of the plot, but the final chapters of the book proved that the true reveal was one worth waiting for. The shock factor was huge and unexpected, but perfect for a novel that makes you care so much for the main character and the hurt that she had gone through. I was incredibly impressed to find that See All the Stars is Kit Frick's debut novel and I really hope to see more from her. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-I took the one with Ret."
ARC provided via Netgalley.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I . . . I chose to follow her. Ret, Ellory, Jenny and Bex. They were four friends, inseparable. Ellory was the artist, Bex, the dancer, Jenny the grounded one and Ret the center of their universe. Each girl lived to please her and be noticed by her. They sought out her approval in all things. For her part, Ret knew the power she held over them and reveled in their competition for her affection. I lied to myself. A coming-of-age story, See All the Stars is also Two roads diverged in a wood, and I . . . I chose to follow her.
Ret, Ellory, Jenny and Bex. They were four friends, inseparable. Ellory was the artist, Bex, the dancer, Jenny the grounded one and Ret the center of their universe. Each girl lived to please her and be noticed by her. They sought out her approval in all things. For her part, Ret knew the power she held over them and reveled in their competition for her affection. I lied to myself.
A coming-of-age story, See All the Stars is also a mystery that shifts between two time frames. Then and Now – before the fall and after its devastating effects. Ellory’s delusion and her release. Frick takes us on a journey of coming to terms with the lies we tell ourselves. Lies that serve their purpose for the meantime. Lies that allow us to believe that everything is okay. As the layers of the story are peeled back the reader is offered glimpses of the truth and slowly uncover the event that leads to Ellory’s ruin. I learned to forgive.
By the time the mystery unfolds Ellory has become more introspective. She is a year older, a little wiser and learning to be honest with herself. Instead of laying blame elsewhere she is cognizant of her motives and the impact of her behavior. She learns that in order to move forward in life she must first be able to forgive herself. See All the Stars is Kit Frick’s first novel. The plot was fast paced, the characters relatable, yet there was a certain depth to it that I find uncommon in most YA novels. I look forward to hearing more from this author. Job well done!Much thanks to Net Galley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books and the author, Kit Frick, for receiving a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to read an early version of SEE ALL THE STARS, and I absolutely loved it. There is so much poetry in Kit Frick's prose, so many gorgeous lines. This is a book that manages to be both chilling and lovely, with a nonlinear timeline that keeps you guessing. Longer review to come closer to pub date!

Hello, readers! *waves*See All the Stars will be out in the world on August 14, 2018! If you're a fan of gritty, heartbreaking contemporary YA novels like Jeff Zentner's Goodbye Days and Courtney Summers' Some Girls Are and twisty suspense like E. Lockhart's We Were Liars and Stephanie Kuehn's Complicit, you're in the right place. I'm glad we found each other!See All the Stars unfolds in two timelines with chapters alternating between Ellory's junior and senior years of high school. It combines Hello, readers! *waves*See All the Stars will be out in the world on August 14, 2018! If you're a fan of gritty, heartbreaking contemporary YA novels like Jeff Zentner's Goodbye Days and Courtney Summers' Some Girls Are and twisty suspense like E. Lockhart's We Were Liars and Stephanie Kuehn's Complicit, you're in the right place. I'm glad we found each other!See All the Stars unfolds in two timelines with chapters alternating between Ellory's junior and senior years of high school. It combines a few of my favorite (and not so favorite) things:Best friends + best friend breakups + rock shows + sculpture and metalworking + dance movie marathons + mall dates + Pennsylvania (my home state!) + Manic Panic + hidden journals + Nirvana + first love + major guilt + riverbank hideaways + secrets and lies +++ I can't wait for you to meet Ellory...NEWS!Want to be first in line for book news, events, and giveaways? How about a behind-the-scenes look at my writing life and tips from my editorial desk? Podcast, book, and TV recommendations from the world of psychological suspense and true crime? For insider access, sign up for my newsletter, These Little Secrets: bit.ly/KitLetterEveryone who subscribes will receive a deleted scene from See All the Stars plus a previously unpublished poem from my forthcoming collection, A Small Rising Up in the Lungs. Happy reading!

I thought I had this book figured out, but things took a much darker, edgier turn than I expected. The story follows a girl named Ellory during her senior year of high school. We know that something traumatic happened the previous year to make her life absolutely miserable, but the book takes its time retreading the past and revealing exactly what happened. Frick is especially insightful about the ways some friendships (especially teenage friendships) can be incredibly manipulative, while also s I thought I had this book figured out, but things took a much darker, edgier turn than I expected. The story follows a girl named Ellory during her senior year of high school. We know that something traumatic happened the previous year to make her life absolutely miserable, but the book takes its time retreading the past and revealing exactly what happened. Frick is especially insightful about the ways some friendships (especially teenage friendships) can be incredibly manipulative, while also showing that that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t something real at the core of those friendships. And her teenagers feel extremely believable –mature and immature, wise and confused, perceptive and clueless. Books set in high schools will never be my thing, but I’m glad I made an exception for this one. And if you ARE a fan of realistic YA, keep your eye out for this debut novel.

Oh my God!! This book was extremely captivating from the very first chapter. The switching perspectives from 'NOW' to 'THEN' keep the mystery and intrigue alive throughout the whole novel and they keep you reading so you find out what the massive event that caused such a change in these characters' lives is. And the plot-twist at the end will leave you speechless! This book follows our main character Ellory throughout her last high school years, unveiling two timelines 'NOW' and 'THEN' until the Oh my God!! This book was extremely captivating from the very first chapter. The switching perspectives from 'NOW' to 'THEN' keep the mystery and intrigue alive throughout the whole novel and they keep you reading so you find out what the massive event that caused such a change in these characters' lives is. And the plot-twist at the end will leave you speechless! This book follows our main character Ellory throughout her last high school years, unveiling two timelines 'NOW' and 'THEN' until they eventually converge and we finally find out the monumental event that split her life in two before/after-type periods. The story is centred around Ellory and her girl squad: Ret, the leader; Jenni, the wannabe, and Bex, the mediator; and the dynamic between them that gets more and more strained until it eventually leads to 'The Fall'. It reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why and Before I Fall (so if you're a fan of any of those I recommend picking this up) but it's definitely it's own unique story and not a repeat of those.The action is not at all predictable and it keeps you guessing with twists and turns and characters who only ever reveal half the information. I would recommend this for the older side of the YA community, rather than young teen readers (it's marketed as 14+) as it touches on (not very in-depth) some serious topics such as unhealthy friendships, substance abuse, negligent parents etc. The characters are all complex and flawed and they lie and deceive and judge and make the wrong choices for the right reasons. This book will keep you hooked from the very beginning!The only two things I wish were better is the diversity (with the exception of a couple of characters, including one of the main 4 girls, no one else is said to be of a different race, sexuality, ability/disability) and the bit of insta-love at the beginning (though this did not bother me that much as the story is not meant to be focused on the way the MC and the love interest met and rather explores their relationship from then on. It's not bad insta-love by any means but it was slightly bordering on cliché just a bit. A slower approach would have been better imo). However, these two aspects while I wish they were better, did not take that much away from the novel and I still enjoyed it greatly. Overall, a wonderful debut novel! I hope to see more from Kit Frick in the future, hopefully with a bit more diversity and representation, but as far as storytelling goes, she is doing an amazing job! I would recommend picking this up!

This YA thriller is filled with teen angst, young love and tough friendships. Split into two time frames in a before and after format, I was left guessing what the twist might be - while it was in front of me the whole time, I didn’t even see it! I think once people read this, it may be compared to another popular YA novel, which I won’t name for spoiler purposes - but I’ll be curious to see how that impacts reviews for some - for me, this was definitely a hit! I received an advance copy. All op This YA thriller is filled with teen angst, young love and tough friendships. Split into two time frames in a before and after format, I was left guessing what the twist might be - while it was in front of me the whole time, I didn’t even see it! I think once people read this, it may be compared to another popular YA novel, which I won’t name for spoiler purposes - but I’ll be curious to see how that impacts reviews for some - for me, this was definitely a hit! I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Hm… okay... wow.There are some books you know you are unlikely to read again, not because they are bad but because they click something inside you and then they unlock something you buried deep –something you either fought against and won or compromised with, accepted and move on, much like its main character. They touch you deep and you are not sure if you are willing to go through that again.I am not sure I can explain what this book was about –I’m even less sure I want to- but if I had to use Hm… okay... wow.There are some books you know you are unlikely to read again, not because they are bad but because they click something inside you and then they unlock something you buried deep –something you either fought against and won or compromised with, accepted and move on, much like its main character. They touch you deep and you are not sure if you are willing to go through that again.I am not sure I can explain what this book was about –I’m even less sure I want to- but if I had to use just one word to describe it in its essence: Unexpected.See all Stars is unexpected.By all means, do what I did. Allow your prejudice to trick you into thinking that this is just another YA book. Let your eyes roll and your heart feel grateful you are over all that high school drama and laugh at how impossibly naïve, undue -adolescent- the characters are, because this is part of its charm, part of its beauty, part of its unexpectedness.Maybe that’s a bit arrogant on my behalf –she’ll probably never see this, anyway- but, Kit Frick, please, allow me to be one of the yeses you mention in your acknowledgements. Yes, this story is mine now and I think it’ll be for a great while. Yes, it’s written beautifully, relatable and Ellory has such a distinguishable voice. She is one of the most real and touching and honest characters I’ve recently come across. Yes, the back and forths were brilliant; they soaked the pages with a sense of doom that made me not to be able to pull away, despite the nausea it made me feel throughout. Thank you, for sharing your story. And thank you NetGalley for granting me this book (for an exchange of an honest review).I know many people might not find this helpful. Contemporaries are not really my thing and I am not sure how to explain this without spoiling anything. But if you are debating whether to read this or not, the answer is a big YES.Just make sure you take a deep breath first.

It’s not until adulthood that we can finally look back and fully understand the complexities of the core relationships from our youth. And they were complex. At the time we told each other we would be best friends FOREVER and meant it. Our first loves felt like the center of our universes, and they were. Everything was life or death at the time and we couldn’t possibly see that this period of our lives was nothing more than a stepping stone to something bigger, something real.This wonderfully wr It’s not until adulthood that we can finally look back and fully understand the complexities of the core relationships from our youth. And they were complex. At the time we told each other we would be best friends FOREVER and meant it. Our first loves felt like the center of our universes, and they were. Everything was life or death at the time and we couldn’t possibly see that this period of our lives was nothing more than a stepping stone to something bigger, something real.This wonderfully written book perfectly depicts this period in all our lives, but then adds a profound layer of deception, betrayal, and tragedy. Things that could easily have happened to us all. After all, the ingredients were there. Heightened feelings, hormones, sex, drugs and alcohol… It just depends on how they were mixed.I really enjoyed this book, The writing was excellent, the characters are flawed and deeply layered, and it felt very real. For me, this story brought my high school experience rushing back and I could easily empathise with a lot of what “Ellory” was going through. Actually, I could empathise with many of the main characters, including “Ret”. Then there was the twist!The ending of the story was completely unexpected! It tied everything together beautifully and it was done so well, it made me elevate my 4 star rating to 5 stars!It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Kudos to the author for masterfully writing a truly evocative and realistic story. This is a MUST read!Rating… A+

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.THEN - They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system. Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love. NOW - Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever. Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.THEN - They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system. Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love. NOW - Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever. Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.I was really hoping to like See All the Stars by Kit Frick more than I did. I've seen so many glowing reviews for it and it's compared to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus which were stories I particularly enjoyed, but I just feel kind of meh about this debut. I mean, it isn't a bad read or anything - I was just never hooked like I was with the two stories it has been compared to. First, I'll talk about my favorite aspect of the novel which is the fact that it isn't told chronologically. The timeline is broken up, jumping back and forth between then and now asking the reader to put together the clues and try to figure out what happened between this group of friends. For this sort of story that aspect works really well, especially as things really begin to pull together the drama and the tension begins to ratchet up in decent increments that make you want to compulsively read through the story. Even if it isn't all that difficult to make an educated guess as to the truth. Now for the aspects I didn't really care for, the story kind of drags - I didn't feel like I had to hang on to every word as I was turning the pages to learn the story behind the incident and the aftermath - and I wasn't invested in the characters enough to really care one way or the other before of afterward. I know the characters are supposed to come off as edgy or something, but I mostly came away with pretentious - looking back on the story I'm not sure why the reveal was such a surprise, especially to the characters who lived the story. One of the things that also bothers me in YA are absent or mostly absent parents - and that's what we get here - seriously, to the parents in YA just watch your kids, or have more than a minor passing role in their life.Overall, See All the Stars by Kit Frick is a debut YA mystery for fans of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus. It wasn't quite as what I was hoping for but it is still engrossing and suspenseful. Thanks, NetGalley!

I am sure that a lot of people that will read this book will love it. But sadly i just read to many books telling a very similar story - toxic friendships between girls, bad things that happen that destroys friendships, told in past/now plotting...- and there was just not that one thing that stood out to me that made this book go from "its okay" to "this is great".Everything was good. The writing is good, the characters are okay, the plotting and structure of this book are good -even if some sec I am sure that a lot of people that will read this book will love it. But sadly i just read to many books telling a very similar story - toxic friendships between girls, bad things that happen that destroys friendships, told in past/now plotting...- and there was just not that one thing that stood out to me that made this book go from "its okay" to "this is great".Everything was good. The writing is good, the characters are okay, the plotting and structure of this book are good -even if some sections feel very dragged out in my option and could have been cut short- and the big "Plot twist" of what happened was very predictable and nothing new but at the same time not done bad just not done fantastically well. So all in all its a good book. And if you are not a huge read of this type book/genre i am sure you will enjoy this book. But i just felt like there was the little something special missing in this book that would make this book stand out to me personally and i just know that in a few weeks i will have no idea anymore about the details in the book since it just felt like the very generic "friendship gone bad" type of book to me. I am however interested to see what else this author will be doing, so we'll see what the future brings, and we will see if the next book by this author might be a better fit for me personally!*Thanks to NetGalley.com for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review*

You can read this review at https://bookwormbrittanyy.wordpress.c... Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*Rating: 3.5 stars* "Whoever said that time heals all wounds didn't know what he was talking about. Time dulls the wounds, makes them bearable. But it doesn't patch you up and send you on your way, good as new. I'm the only one who can make that happen. And it's freaking hard."Do you guys ever read a book and come across a line tha You can read this review at https://bookwormbrittanyy.wordpress.c...
Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*Rating: 3.5 stars* "Whoever said that time heals all wounds didn't know what he was talking about. Time dulls the wounds, makes them bearable. But it doesn't patch you up and send you on your way, good as new. I'm the only one who can make that happen. And it's freaking hard."Do you guys ever read a book and come across a line that just sticks with you for whatever reason, and you're like, "This is what I'm going to remember about this book. This beautifully sculpted, well-thought out, masterpiece of a sentence is going to stay with me"? No? Okay well maybe it's just me. But this book was full of those moments for me. Kit Frick has a great way with words and I really enjoy her writing style. This is a huge compliment coming from me because I rag on writing alllllllll the time. Probably too much. But the writing of a book is so important. I don't think it matters how planned out and intricate your plot is if your writing is all over the place. It can make or break a story. And Kit Frick really gets that.I think the the way she sequenced the book really worked in her favor. In all honesty, I'm not sure that the story line would've been interesting enough to me to stay hooked until the end had it been in chronological order. I love YA books but really do not enjoy reading about teenage drama. I'm a contradiction, I know. Truth be told, I really kinda just kept reading to see why Ellory was so friendless senior year, and once I knew, I was pretty much over it. The last few pages dragged for me, because I'm not a huge sucker for all things happy ending. It wasn't a bad read, honest. It just wasn't super captivating for me. I love a good YA and I love books that really get into your mind but this book didn't really make me think much. So, now that we've gotten that out of the way... lets talk spoilers. (Do not keep reading if you don't want to know what happens!!!!) (view spoiler)[I honestly saw the whole Ret stealing Matthius from Ellory thing coming. The back and forth way that this book is written makes it clear to the reader from the very beginning that there has been some big blow out between the four girls, and though it doesn't say anything about Matthius having anything to do with it, I just saw it coming. But I did not see Ret being dead coming. Not at first. Frick did a really good job building up to this and I'm impressed with her ability to surprise me because it doesn't happen often. But here's the thing. Once I saw this plot line rearing its ugly head around the corner, I literally rolled my eyes. I don't really know why, but I am growing a serious distaste to these types of stories. I think it might have to do with the fact that its the same recycled, tired plot in every book: someone died. The main character feels immense guilt. Main character imagines that the deceased is still alive and readers are tricked into believing the same. Main character has some break through and realizes that the deceased is, in fact, deceased. Readers are let in on the secret. I'm overrrrrrrrr it yall. Over it. 212% done with this story line. Props to Frick for keeping me from guessing that this book was headed in that direction, but I really wish it didn't have to end this way. As far as characters go, I wasn't super obsessed or connected with anyone, even Ellory, but I didn't feel too far from her either. I was in highschool not too long ago and I know how cruel girls who are your "friends" can be. I know how quickly your best friend becomes your enemy. And I'm sad to admit that, but it's the truth. It's familiar, and I understood. I wasn't mad at Ellory when she kept coming back to toxic friendships because she didn't know how to let go. (hide spoiler)]it was an easy story to understand on some level, though it didn't tug at my heart strings or keep me from putting the book down every once in a while. It was a nice read, and I enjoyed it well enough. I think that a book like this would be easier to connect to for a younger reader still in high school, or even middle school, but it's certainly good for all YA enthusiasts.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This book was hard for me to rate because while I liked it, I also had trouble connecting to the characters in the book. I ended up with a 4 star rating because I did not see the end coming at all.This novel alternates between taking place in the past, starting the summer before Ellory's junior year (then), and the present, starting just before Ellory starts her senior year (now). We know that something happened between then an I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This book was hard for me to rate because while I liked it, I also had trouble connecting to the characters in the book. I ended up with a 4 star rating because I did not see the end coming at all.This novel alternates between taking place in the past, starting the summer before Ellory's junior year (then), and the present, starting just before Ellory starts her senior year (now). We know that something happened between then and now that left Ellory friendless and single with her only goal to make it through the year, but we don't know what happened, and we slowly learn, in this alternating timeline, the events that led to her current predicament. I really liked this way of telling the story. I think that if the book had been chronological, I wouldn't have liked it nearly as much, because the mystery of not knowing what happened was kept intact until close to the end of the book. There were a lot of times that I found myself reading solely to find out what happened because what was currently happening wasn't really holding my interest. I was able to predict one of the twist ((view spoiler)[Matthias was cheating on Ellory with Ret (hide spoiler)]) but the other definitely surprised me.As I mentioned earlier, I had trouble connecting with the characters in this story. The whole story is told from Ellory's POV, and in the 'then' parts, we see her friendship with Ret, Jenni, and Bex, as well as her relationship with Matthias. While I couldn't connect with them, it also felt real to me, and I liked that. It was really interesting to see how the relationships changed as the story progressed, so despite personally not connecting with any of them, I still liked seeing how everything panned out with them.I would recommend this to people who like YA contemporaries. I think it's well written and engaging and the mystery on what happened is definitely intriguing. As a side note, maybe I just have never seen this, but the fact that their school had 8 stories seemed very unrealistic to me. I don't think I've ever heard of a school with more than 3 levels, but again, that could just be my limited knowledge of high schools around the country.

Find this review and more on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads."I think you know what it's like to be the star of a story that you didn't write." Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first ARC that I ever received, and I was so excited to read it! Thank you so much Netgalley for this opportunity.This book has been described as a mix between We Were Liars and 13 Reasons Why. Unfortunately, I haven't read either one of those books, s Find this review and more on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads."I think you know what it's like to be the star of a story that you didn't write." Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first ARC that I ever received, and I was so excited to read it! Thank you so much Netgalley for this opportunity.This book has been described as a mix between We Were Liars and 13 Reasons Why. Unfortunately, I haven't read either one of those books, so I can't really compare them, but I can say that I can see a Pretty Little Liars vibe in here. That comes from one of the main characters at play, a girl that goes by the name of "Ret". See, from the vibe that I've gotten from her, she is very manipulative with the group of girls that she hangs out with. She is the one that brings them all together, and she is the one that broke them all apart. Think of her as the Alison DiLaurentis of the group, exactly why I can see a PLL vibe. It gets to the point where the main protagonist, a girl named Ellory (I'm actually really digging her name, by the way) even feels like she "needs" to have Ret in her life at some point, and that she "belongs" to Ret. She even has some sort of jealousy custody battle thing with one of the other girls named Jenni, because according to Jenni, she's known Ret longer. It's like they are in competition for Ret's affection, and that's honestly no way to have a good "girl friend" kind of relationship. Not at all.The more that the book progresses, the more you can see just how abusive Ret really is to her friends. You see it because Ellory is able to finally see it, even if she hasn't done anything to stand up for herself or the other girls yet. There will be moments where it seems like Ret is being genuinely nice, but we have Ellory telling us that it's an ulterior motive, and then we can see it. Everything that Ret says and does to her friends is to make them under the impression that without Ret, they have nothing. They almost are nothing, and Ret knows that. If they don't tell her something immediately, Ret punishes them by not telling them something. If Ret wants to find out information, she pulls the "don't you trust me?" trump card that makes the other girls feel guilty. It's a psychological battle that Ret knows she's doing, and it seems like maybe Ellory is noticing it too.I also really liked the way that this book would switch between the past and the present. It reminded me of The Roanoke Girls, and for me, it seems like the story flows better that way. One on hand, you can see how Ellory's friendship with Ret, Jenni, and Bex was good, and then you can see just how alone she really is in the present. What happened that made this sudden change? The story doesn't really tell you exactly what happens until you get towards the end (as a good book usually does), but the suspense was killing me! I just wanted to know what the heck happened that was so bad! It had to have been bad if she was out of school on a suspension for two months. Should she have even gone back to that school? Was it worth it to be back in the same situation and these people that caused her so much pain?Was she also to blame for her pain?In the past, Ellory even had herself a boyfriend, the elusive and beautiful Matthias Cole. But in the present, she didn't even have him. Throughout the book, the more that Ellory shared her past, you could see that Matthias was drifting. Was he out of love with her, or was something else going on? He was keeping secrets, and Ellory didn't understand why he felt the need to keep secrets from her. She had never judged him before, was always supportive of his love for music, and yet something was changing between them. Could it have been blamed on the fleeting sensation of high school romance, or was it something else entirely?This may not be my regular genre (the contemporary part, not the YA part), but I did enjoy this book. I thought it was well written, and the characters left me feeling something. I don't know if I'm completely happy with everyone, but I could tell that things were real for them, like I could have gone through something similar, even if not the same thing. I hurt for Ellory, I hurt for them all, and yet I didn't feel sorry for them. I just could understand them.

The longer I think about this novel the less I like it. It kept my attention, sure, but only because it was a shitshow of drama that just hemorrhaged ridiculous scenarios.Basically this novel will appeal to the people that watch shows like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, where teenagers apparently get away with weird shenanigans and no one seems to notice.Ret was the one that bothered me the most. I seriously can’t suspend disbelief enough to trust that a 16 year old girl was allowed to wea The longer I think about this novel the less I like it. It kept my attention, sure, but only because it was a shitshow of drama that just hemorrhaged ridiculous scenarios.Basically this novel will appeal to the people that watch shows like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, where teenagers apparently get away with weird shenanigans and no one seems to notice.Ret was the one that bothered me the most. I seriously can’t suspend disbelief enough to trust that a 16 year old girl was allowed to wear 5 inch heels to school on a regular basis, that no one noticed she was swigging from a flask constantly, and that she was a manipulative bitch. She was far too fake for me to believe in any of her friendships, and so the whole story gradually fell further and further apart the longer she was the central theme.Matthias was an unrealistic character too. There’s no fucking way he was able to accomplish all the things that he was supposedly doing each and every night. It was weird and was too cramped, and again just felt unrealistic. Also, they cutesy names annoyed the crap out of me. Jenni, Bex, Ret, Ellory, Matthias, Lizza—NO ONE had a common name and it all felt excessively edgy and cool. These are the kind of names I picked out for stories when I was 13.

See All The Stars is a bunch of different themes put it into one well-written novel. It's part romance, as the story plays out main character Ellory's first love with a boy named Matthias. Part friendship story, as it shows Ellory's complicated friendship with Bex, Jenni, and especially her best friend Ret. And part mystery novel as the story slowly unravels what happened in Ellory's junior that left her so broken in her senior year.Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. The writing is extremely See All The Stars is a bunch of different themes put it into one well-written novel. It's part romance, as the story plays out main character Ellory's first love with a boy named Matthias. Part friendship story, as it shows Ellory's complicated friendship with Bex, Jenni, and especially her best friend Ret. And part mystery novel as the story slowly unravels what happened in Ellory's junior that left her so broken in her senior year.Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. The writing is extremely strong. Kit Frick is a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading more from her. The story was well done and something that I wanted to keep coming back to. I had a feeling of what the twist was and was proved correct but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book.I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.*Book received through the Amazon Vine Program*

I received this novel from NetGalleyWow, I finished this book in one sitting, one sitting that had me on the edge of my seat. This book completely tore me apart. It starts out in this amazing world of love, light and friendship, and slowly as the novel progresses, it all begins to fade away into horrific, heart breaking agony.This is the second book I have read this year and it will be tough to beat, definitely going to be my favourite for 2018.I love Frick's writing style, the way she engages t I received this novel from NetGalleyWow, I finished this book in one sitting, one sitting that had me on the edge of my seat. This book completely tore me apart. It starts out in this amazing world of love, light and friendship, and slowly as the novel progresses, it all begins to fade away into horrific, heart breaking agony.This is the second book I have read this year and it will be tough to beat, definitely going to be my favourite for 2018.I love Frick's writing style, the way she engages the reader with her characters, but I think, the thing I love the most is that she has created characters that are real. That don't have a constant progression, they regress and take backward steps that are logical and make sense. She shows that we all have a vulnerability, that we all make mistakes and that they can be overcome.This book completely threw me, it made me cry on more than one occasion, it really made me think about my choices and friends, and I love that. I love novels that give the reader something to think about, long after you read the final word.This book is fantastic. I'll be recommending it all year!

I knew this was special right away, commenting on how I loved the voice as early as the first few pages. But HOLY COW did I not know how much I would ultimately love this book. See All the Stars does something I LOVE which is that it makes me care a ton, even though I don't love the characters. For the most part.Ellory, our narrator, is so special. I adore her in both the Junior and Senior year timelines. Ellory feels real. Flawed in all the right ways and so, wholly teenagerific. Nothing bother I knew this was special right away, commenting on how I loved the voice as early as the first few pages. But HOLY COW did I not know how much I would ultimately love this book. See All the Stars does something I LOVE which is that it makes me care a ton, even though I don't love the characters. For the most part.Ellory, our narrator, is so special. I adore her in both the Junior and Senior year timelines. Ellory feels real. Flawed in all the right ways and so, wholly teenagerific. Nothing bothers me more than when teenagers in books don't feel like teenagers, and Ellory is spot on. Matthias, Ellory's boyfriend in the THEN timeline, is perfect. Not likable, an important distinction. But perfect for what he is. Sometimes, the good girl and bad boy thing is so very nauseating. But this is utterly believable. I believe Ellory would fall for Matthias. Their relationship feels real to me.Ret, Ellory's best friend in the THEN timeline, is kinda the same. I love her character, even though as a person I can't stand her. Also, I wanna say, I tweeted a very long time ago: "I just want to read ONE book with two female characters where it's not a main plot point that one is jealous because the other is prettier." WELL IT FINALLY HAPPENED. There are FOUR main female characters, and there is none of that shit in this book. Thank. Goodness.The writing is wonderful! SO much can go wrong with alternating timelines, and I'm generally weary, but this is done so very well. The differences between the two are perfect, also. The THEN timeline being more about relationships and dialogue, and the NOW timeline being more about solitude and with very, very little dialogue. To be able to pull off both writing styles so well is wonderful. Magic.The pacing is spot on, too. I enjoyed the first half, but the closer we got to the end I HAD to keep reading, had to know what would happen.I don't want to say too much, no spoilers, but the end made me SHOUT SO LOUD. I was genuinely surprised. I had a lot of theories, and this wasn't one of them.Thanks so much to NetGalley & the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Pitch Wars 2017, and landing the amazing Kit Frick as my mentor (THANK YOU KIT), I've become one of the lucky few granted permission to early-read this utterly raw and poetic masterpiece! This is a book about friendships--why we choose the friends we do, and how sometimes we have to say goodbye to people who aren't good for us. I do not want to spoil anything, but Kit broke my heart in the most beautiful way. I'm so excited for the rest of the world to be able to read this!!

This book....wow. It's hard to put a pithy label on what SEE ALL THE STARS is and that's part of why I loved it. It's a love story, but not in the way you think it is. It's a story of a crime of passion, but not in the way you think it is. It's a thriller with a twist I never saw coming until it was there and suddenly the whole book was thrown into a new and staggering light. And it's a deeply humane and beautifully written story about healing. Definitely recommend to fans of thrillers, stories This book....wow. It's hard to put a pithy label on what SEE ALL THE STARS is and that's part of why I loved it. It's a love story, but not in the way you think it is. It's a story of a crime of passion, but not in the way you think it is. It's a thriller with a twist I never saw coming until it was there and suddenly the whole book was thrown into a new and staggering light. And it's a deeply humane and beautifully written story about healing. Definitely recommend to fans of thrillers, stories about friendships between women, and fans of drop-dead gorgeous prose. Loved it.

This story blew me away. The two opposite timelines coming together near the mid-point of the story added just the right amount of tension to keep me reading.I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

January 1, 1970

Mithila Menezes

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this awesome YA fiction novel.I think I've found a new favourite YA fiction author. Kit Frick, you're indeed the best at writing YA Fiction, and building and maintaining suspense throughout the novel. The characters in the book are so well-defined, I almost felt that Ellory, Ret, Bex, Jenni, Matthias were real life people who text me everyday.The book is written in two intermingling parts: the first part where the author describes the main character Thank you NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this awesome YA fiction novel.I think I've found a new favourite YA fiction author. Kit Frick, you're indeed the best at writing YA Fiction, and building and maintaining suspense throughout the novel. The characters in the book are so well-defined, I almost felt that Ellory, Ret, Bex, Jenni, Matthias were real life people who text me everyday.The book is written in two intermingling parts: the first part where the author describes the main character, Ellory's present life as a senior year student. The second part, where the author describes Ellory's past as a junior year student, and how certain events and occurences of the junior year shaped her life and decisions of the senior year.Ellory's life as a student of junior year is similar to that of a diva. Girls' nights out with Ret, Bex and Jenni almost every weekend, hanging out with her blogger-boyfriend Matthias at the coolest indie concert, being best friends with Ret, the queen bee of the social life at Pine Brook. Everything is perfect, until it's not. The summer of the junior year is full of decisions and the resulting catastrophes, catastrophes that even the Oracle wouldn't be able to fathom.The slow unveiling of the past was precise and meticulously done, not giving the reader a single bit of unnecessary information, yet helping the reader to understand how Ellory's life went from hero to zero. At the end, after all the details of Ellory's past are revealed, the whole book seems justified. And I, a seasoned reader of thrillers and suspense, could not predict the ending. (Though I did predict a part of it, the part which was pretty obvious. The second part of the ending was masterfully done.)All in all, I recommend this book to every lover of YA Fiction and Suspense. A 5-star read for me!

NetGalley gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, so! Let's start! A friend of mine read this book before me and advised me to go into it without taking into consideration her review or rating. So that's what I did. But even if I hadn't I would have never seen this coming. This is a coming of age story worthy of the title. Many times we read stories about teens and their struggles and yet we can't relate- no matter the age, we all have to go through that phase. Even th NetGalley gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, so! Let's start! A friend of mine read this book before me and advised me to go into it without taking into consideration her review or rating. So that's what I did. But even if I hadn't I would have never seen this coming. This is a coming of age story worthy of the title. Many times we read stories about teens and their struggles and yet we can't relate- no matter the age, we all have to go through that phase. Even though some people may call it extreme I think this is a perfectly accurate depiction of some friendships amongst girls. The two main characters, Ellory and Ret, are both very complex characters, full of layers that some times intertwine, pushing them apart and pulling them together. This dance, almost, may seem weird and too dramatic and Hollywood-y for some, but I couldn't disagree more. It is a very strange dynamic that develops, almost unnatural and definitely toxic, but also a very real one. This is a truly fascinating book that focuses on friendship and relationships and it's far, far from cliché. I wish I could have read this when I was younger.

**I'm extremely grateful to McElderry and Netgalley for sending me this ARC. This has in no way affected my opinion of this book.**Books about high school friendships and fallouts are common, and yet somehow there is an element to them that eludes most writers: the bad times aren’t constantly bad. See All the Stars by Kit Frick perfectly captures the see-saw-like, constantly changing nature of friendships. More to come later...